India Pursues Greater Military & Economic Links With Afghanistan

[Capt.Popeye]

Mate , iran is there ... from a long time ago .

iran will never leave afghanistan alone in face of taliban and us .

we will appreciate india's active role in afghanistan as it helps regional security and economic advancement

India will do well to associate with Iran to assist Afghanistan in matters relating to access to the Sea and helping Afghanistan reconstruct and later to assist the Afghans to exploit their own natural resources.

Afghan-Pakistan relations have always been volatile and will be increasingly so going into the future given the latent insecurity and even hatred between them
So some "airy-fairy" notions being peddled here by some like @FaujHistorian are simply fantastical and impossible to sustain. India needs to have an independent relation-ship with Afghanistan. To tie up with Pakistan to do so will be stupid. And given Afghan antipathy towards Pakistan will be an exercise in futility. So far India was seekin to get access through Pakistan to Afghanistan. Now a viable and more secure route via Iran has come up. And Iran has always been more stable and predictable wrt Afghanistan than Pakistan is.
Iran is the way to go.

 

[haman10]

Lets wait and see what happens in 2014, because the americans do not intend to leave completely.

sure , we have to make them leave ! trust me NO one in the region like us gov. presence in afghanistan .

neither iran nor pakistan and india !! NO ONE ! so pressure from all sides can make them leave

India is neutral in this and I think even Iran will not have any issues in helping out Afghanistans govt

iran is already helping afghan gov.

if there is a rapproachment between US and Iran.

iranian regional diplomacy will never get affected by us !!

India will do well to associate with Iran to assist Afghanistan in matters relating to access to the Sea and helping Afghanistan reconstruct and later to exploit the Afghans to exploit their own natural resources.

i second that , iran and india are moving towards a very vast regional cooperation .....

the relations is moving towards becoming a role model for regional countries

afghanistan can be an example of that where our co-op can help afghans build their country a zillion times faster than before

 

[acid rain]

The only long term option for India in Afghanistan is to make a stance joined with Pakistan.

otherwise it will be a $tupid waste of Indian taxpayers' hard earned dollars.

yeah what I propose is hard to put together.

But in the long run that is the only way out.

Iran and Russians have their interests in AFghanistan.

But India and Pakistan have the same interests that may or may not match with Iran or Russia.

Read some history before jumping against this post please.

Not practical - americans had exactly the same setup with pakistan vis a vis afghanistan and got double dealed by pakistan.

neither india nor afghanistan trusts pakistan.. india with the help of iran is the best option.

 

[HRK]

I agree with you....But again..the million dollar question is that if Pakistan provide access to India to do normal bussiness activity in Afganistan?

India does not require a 'save route' from Pakistan to access Afghanistan, its a fact .... both Pakistan & India know this, so any bilateral, trilateral or multilateral engagement for Afghanistan issue wouldn't be the hostage of some pre-conceptional demand from 'any side' which have no value to all concern parties

The problem as of now is that Pakistan does not want to allow India to gain any footprint in Afganistan...And i should also admit...India will not use Afganistan for economic activity alone...India will and nothing wrong in trying to checkmate Pakistan as long as Pakistan keeps its interest alive in Kashmir....

unlike to many popular believes this time history has provided an opportunity in Afghanistan for Pakistan and India to work along with some regional powers, this time we may witness India and Pakistan in the same camp.

Most of the analyst base their theory on current strategic and diplomatic situation of the region, but failed to incorporate 'expected & un-expected' change in strategical dynamics of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This is the only time in modern history of Afghanistan when the core interest of Iran, Russia, China, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan is same.

Last time when Pakistan opted the other camp was due to the non-availability of other options or choices, this time we have other options though limited, India 'pose' as a strong contender but any attempt to checkmate Pakistan can be deterred, and that deterrence may have backing on moral & diplomatic grounds by other participants of the camp due to the alignment of core Interest of the region.

 

[FaujHistorian]

We also like if all pakistan leadership and PA leadership have your opinion.
But ground reality is too far.And practically use of Pakistan route for our trade is not good.
We use Afghanistan for our trade to central asia.

Pakistani leadership has always had two camps (like any government in the region or beyond). One willing to work with India and one against.

It is upto India (being bigger power) to decide which one gets empowered within Pakistan due to specific actions by India and Indian policies.

Even if Indians ignore that Afghanistani population based is comparable to just ONE large Indian or Pakistani city.

Even if Indians ignore that Afghanistani market will be 150th of Pakistani market

Just think

Unlike Afghanistan, Pakistan is an evolved and powerful state. Accept for small border areas, Pakistan army can stomp any anti-state activity.

Thus any type of RIGHT agreement with Pakistan in terms of sharing the regional space will work 1000 times more than working with unstable and tiny country like Afghanistan.

As I said earlier

many Indians think about our region as if we are still living in 1940s or worse 1740s.

World is changing so fast that even 15 years old ideas are now dead. Hey blackberry is dead within a decade.

Thus anyone in India or Pakistan making their policies based on old routine will fail regardless of the money, or material poured into such venture.

peace

Not practical - americans had exactly the same setup with pakistan vis a vis afghanistan and got double dealed by pakistan.

neither india nor afghanistan trusts pakistan.. india with the help of iran is the best option.

USA had a huge disadvantage in the area. Credibility!

Yes Credibility about its staying power.

That is

It is supposed to pick up its bags and leave the area and go back 1000s of miles away.

All depending on the whims of its electorate or its president or both.

This is not true if you are a Pakistani or an Indian.

We are all joined at the hip.


Where would we go even if we wanted to.


So thinking from USA perspective will simply be foolish for any Indian or Pakistani.

peace

 

[FaujHistorian]

....
3- Paksitan has to close the Kashmir chapter with choosing as LOC...
..

I like your points. Just want to update the data on #3.

Indians and I say many Indians are still living in 60s and 70s when it comes to Kashmir.

Back then Pakistan had some advantages in demography and geography.

Please move to 2014, and you will see that both of these factors have disappeared.

gone poof, into the thin air.

The whole LOC and especially crossable points are walled up or wired up.

There is no forking way even a bird can cross LOC without being noticed by Indian observers.

So any Indian asking for LOC to be accepted doesn't know the reality of LOC in 2014.

....
4- India has to think in a sensitive way the water issue of Pakistan.....If relation improves, I feel India should not flirt with any kind of water problem in Pakistan...That should show Indias senstiveness with people of Pakistan....

This type of approach will win hearts and minds in Pakistan.

And thank you for being fair and balanced.

peace

 

[SrNair]

Pakistani leadership has always had two camps (like any government in the region or beyond). One willing to work with India and one against.

It is upto India (being bigger power) to decide which one gets empowered within Pakistan due to specific actions by India and Indian policies.

Even if Indians ignore that Afghanistani population based is comparable to just ONE large Indian or Pakistani city.

Even if Indians ignore that Afghanistani market will be 150th of Pakistani market

Just think

Unlike Afghanistan, Pakistan is an evolved and powerful state. Accept for small border areas, Pakistan army can stomp any anti-state activity.

Thus any type of RIGHT agreement with Pakistan in terms of sharing the regional space will work 1000 times more than working with unstable and tiny country like Afghanistan.

As I said earlier

many Indians think about our region as if we are still living in 1940s or worse 1740s.

World is changing so fast that even 15 years old ideas are now dead. Hey blackberry is dead within a decade.

Thus anyone in India or Pakistan making their policies based on old routine will fail regardless of the money, or material poured into such venture.

peace



USA had a huge disadvantage in the area. Credibility!

Yes Credibility about its staying power.

That is

It is supposed to pick up its bags and leave the area and go back 1000s of miles away.

All depending on the whims of its electorate or its president or both.

This is not true if you are a Pakistani or an Indian.

We are all joined at the hip.


Where would we go even if we wanted to.


So thinking from USA perspective will simply be foolish for any Indian or Pakistani.

peace

We Indians support complete, good relationship with Pakistan.But there is some facts we cant be avoided.
Democratic government must become stronger ,means in Pakistan Prime Minister should be the most powerful man.So people of Pakistan can dictate him.Remove PA and ISI from influencing the foreign policy.Foreign policy development must be in the hand of elected government and their bureaucrats .
US aid should be avoid and forge a good relationship with neighbours like Iran .Stop supporting terrorists as state policy ,it will be easy if elected government get sole power than PA and ISI.
Disputes must be resolve through negotiations.
Then we can start a good relationship with Pakistan.